Flexitarians of the World, Unite!

Nobody loves a good, old fashioned burger like I do. Even in a fancier restaurant, if they have a novel approach to the classic burger, I have a hard time ordering anything else. Over the past few years, however, I've been trying to curtail my red meat intake. In fact, my last cholesterol reading was a bit high so I figure it can't hurt to ease up on the animal products (the source of most cholesterol).

The problem with "meat alternatives" is that they don't fool anyone. Tofurkey, for example, sucks. It's unpleasant to see, smell, and taste. It's nowhere near being turkey and I can only imagine that their main target market is people that have a vegetarian friend and want to surprise them with their sensitivity and kindness. Tofurkey is not the way.

On the other hand, companies like Boca and Amy's have been creating meat-free options that I can actually enjoy. Amy's is famous for their individual frozen meals from all corners of the world. They use primo ingredients and recipes that don't typically include meat. I think I've mentioned it before, but the Indian entrees are delicious. The only thing that keeps me from incorporating more from Amy's into our diet is the price. I'm not saying it's not worth it, we just can't afford it at the moment.

For a price/quality proposition, I highly recommend Boca's big burgers in the econo-pack. Price-wise, it's $10 for 16 individually-wrapped, over-sized burgers. If you haven't tried veggie burgers in a while, I totally understand. So does Boca, so they made these with a good texture and flavor. It still doesn't fool me as a replacement for meat but I genuinely like them on their own merits.

You can pan-fry them in some butter for a little crispness or even just put them in the microwave for a minute without making them soggy. They make a perfect lunch for me since they're a little bigger than normal veggie burgers and it's not as imperative to refrigerate them. Bottom line is they're less than $1 each, they taste great, and they're easy to handle. (I also recommend using a Natural Ovens onion bagel as a bun!)